Goal: To come home from work and relax to music.
Issue 1: There are too many remotes.
Issue 2: My active speakers don't turn on and off automatically.
Issue 3: Smart plugs require me to stare at a little screen or do more jabbering to google/Alexa.
Solution: Create a system where one can say "Assistant, play (song or video) on Living Room Stereo or Living Room TV," and it automatically turns on the TV if needed, or starts playing on the Chromecast Audio, which triggers the speakers to turn on, and an automatic optical switcher engages to detect which of 2 inputs it active and forwards the one sending audio.
Setup:
-Genelec 8260 Monitors
-MiniDSP
-TV
-Chromecast
-Chromecast Audio
Here are the two unique devices that helped me do this.
1. An automatic optical audio switch that didn't have horrible reviews on Amazon. This switches every second or so checking for an audio signal and seems to not be doing any processing... Nearly instant reconnection if you unplug an input and plug it back in, and not an "audiophile optical purifier."
https://www.pimfg.com/product-detail/TTA-1432
2. An actually smart powerstrip that doesn't take an app to set up: You simply plug a device into the master plug, and when it draws more than standby power it triggers the slave plugs. There are also plugs that are always on. Those searching for an audio trigger powerstrip might find this useful. It doesn't use an audio trigger, but it might as well if you have a device that pulls more power once it's playing and need to trigger other things. Initially I was looking at a Kasa smart strip, but don't want another app on my phone or things clogging up my Google home app.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002K8S2J6
If anyone else has examples of products that are actually smart, automate things, and don't require yet another app or digging in your pocket instead of taking half a second to flip a switch, I'd love to know.
Another example would be Philips Scene Switch lightbulbs: Different white points and dimness are useful, but I don't want a hub and mega buck bulbs that aren't bright (Philips Hue). Sceneswitch bulbs change their color if you turn them off and on again within a few seconds, and remember where you left them. Cycling through the colors takes 2 seconds instead of having to get out your phone.
Issue 1: There are too many remotes.
Issue 2: My active speakers don't turn on and off automatically.
Issue 3: Smart plugs require me to stare at a little screen or do more jabbering to google/Alexa.
Solution: Create a system where one can say "Assistant, play (song or video) on Living Room Stereo or Living Room TV," and it automatically turns on the TV if needed, or starts playing on the Chromecast Audio, which triggers the speakers to turn on, and an automatic optical switcher engages to detect which of 2 inputs it active and forwards the one sending audio.
Setup:
-Genelec 8260 Monitors
-MiniDSP
-TV
-Chromecast
-Chromecast Audio
Here are the two unique devices that helped me do this.
1. An automatic optical audio switch that didn't have horrible reviews on Amazon. This switches every second or so checking for an audio signal and seems to not be doing any processing... Nearly instant reconnection if you unplug an input and plug it back in, and not an "audiophile optical purifier."
https://www.pimfg.com/product-detail/TTA-1432
2. An actually smart powerstrip that doesn't take an app to set up: You simply plug a device into the master plug, and when it draws more than standby power it triggers the slave plugs. There are also plugs that are always on. Those searching for an audio trigger powerstrip might find this useful. It doesn't use an audio trigger, but it might as well if you have a device that pulls more power once it's playing and need to trigger other things. Initially I was looking at a Kasa smart strip, but don't want another app on my phone or things clogging up my Google home app.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002K8S2J6
If anyone else has examples of products that are actually smart, automate things, and don't require yet another app or digging in your pocket instead of taking half a second to flip a switch, I'd love to know.
Another example would be Philips Scene Switch lightbulbs: Different white points and dimness are useful, but I don't want a hub and mega buck bulbs that aren't bright (Philips Hue). Sceneswitch bulbs change their color if you turn them off and on again within a few seconds, and remember where you left them. Cycling through the colors takes 2 seconds instead of having to get out your phone.